by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours! 

CULTURE | The Vancouver Fringe Festival is on, bringing hundreds of ‘alternative theatre’ performances to stages across the city. We’re particularly looking forward to Lord of the Flies. From Fringe Fest: “Comedian Lesley Tsina (Community, Funny or Die) worked for a company that made cell phone ringtones. That is, until they announced nine months of layoffs and the entire office descended into savagery. Lord of the Files is a darkly hilarious story about losing your job, losing your mind, and still having to attend an all-company pancake breakfast.” With so much going on, we recommend a visit to the Fringe Fest website to develop a custom game plan.
Now through Sept. 14 | Various times and locations | DETAILS

BRAIN JUICE | September’s start marks a time to regroup, return to school (strike aside), and snap our brains out of their summertime states. If you’re looking for some help on how to best approach the transition, consider hitting the Summer End party at The Juice Truck on Thursday night. In addition to brain games, medicinal cocktails containing mind-sharpening ingredients, a DJ ‘name that tune’ challenge, and inspiring conversation with a solid gathering of people, you can also be among the first to sample “Brain On” – a new juice (full of good things like blueberry, spinach, cucumber, beet, turmeric and more) that has come out of a collaboration between The Juice Truck and Jeff Hamada (of Booooooom fame). Kick start your brain, be entertained and get social all at once. Everyone is welcome.
Thu, Sept 4 | 7pm – late | The Juice Truck Cafe (28 W 5th Ave) | DETAILS

STREET ART | If you’ve ever turned into an alley to find a mural, encountered a collage on the wall of a vacant building or spotted a small, thoughtfully placed bit of poster art hiding in a stairwell – you’ll appreciate that street art brings temporary beauty and pause for thought to some of the darkest corners of the city. Hot Art Wet City thinks so, too. This month, the small Main Street gallery is having a show of works of local wheatepaste and stencil artists iHeart, Joy, Slingshot, Wrk(less), and MW Bowen. Opening night with reception, booze and artists in attendance goes down on Friday, with the exhibition itself continuing until September 26.
Opening: Fri, Sept 5 | 7-11 pm | Hot Art Wet City Gallery (2206 Main) | DETAILS

GET UP | Hit the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (SFU Woodwards) to join in on the monthly morning gathering for creative types and leave inspired. Each event includes a 20 minute lecture followed by a 20 minute group discussion. It begins at 8:30am and ends with everyone splitting for their respective offices at 10am. This month, CM has invited Andrea Chlebak to speak. Andrea is the Senior Digital Intermediate Colorist and Director of Creative Services at Central (a boutique post-production facility in Vancouver) and she’ll be taking the stage to about what she does and where she draws creative inspiration from. Tickets are free but they go fast in a lottery, so don’t dilly-dally.
Fri, Sept. 5 | 8:30-10am | Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings) | DETAILS

UNLIMITED EDITION III | Design firm Knauf & Brown are hosting one of their ‘poster parties’ this weekend. Make your way to The Something Club on Powell Street where there will be a fancy printer pumping out 2 foot by 3 foot, black and white artist’s posters for only $15. Score yourself a cool poster-sized image of a work by participating artists like Jennilee Marigomen, Alana Paterson, Lukas Peet, Tom Chung, Dan Climan and many more (for a full list of artists visit The Something Club website). Check it out!
Fri, Sept. 5 | 8pm | The Something Club (1505 Powell St) | DETAILS

LANTERNS | Celebrate the mid-autumn moon at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens on Sunday. “The Festival honours the full harvest moon symbolizing peace, prosperity and family reunion.” All good things to celebrate! Between 5 and 7pm, activities will be family focused (expect traditional Chinese music performances, storytelling, Chinese games and mooncakes and tea), while after 7pm (continuing until 10pm) the evening becomes more introspective and grown-uppish. Take some time to wander the soft dark pathways of the garden, light and release a lotus lantern and enjoy a glass of wine. Tickets: $5/person or $10/family. Heed the Gardens’ advice: “Bring cash to get in fast.”
Sun, Sept. 7 | 5-10pm | Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Gardens (578 Carrall) | $5/10 | DETAILS

FEAST | This Sunday is the 20th annual Feast of Fields. This year, Farm Folk City Folk present their super delicious annual fundraising event out at Bremner’s Farm in Delta. Feast organizers work hard to bring fresh local ingredients produced, grown, caught and harvested by the regions best farmers and fishers together with talented chefs from some of the most amazing restaurants in the city in order to showcase why we are so lucky to live (and, very specifically, eat) in the Lower Mainland. It’s always seriously good times, plus the money raised goes toFarm Folk City Folk. Added bonus: there will be a shuttle bus available from Vancouver ($15) so you don’t have to drive or think, just eat and drink. This event always sells out, so don’t get stuck without tickets.
Sun, Sept 7 | 1-5pm | Bremner’s Farm (4626 88 St, Delta) | $95 | DETAILS

LEARN | Pick up a bit of useful foraging information in Stanley Park this Sunday. Rainforest Cafe is an expert-led tour through the pathways and forests of the park designed to educate participants on the edible (and inedible) plants and berries that they will find growing within the boundaries. It’s always smart to have a back up source of sustenance should the concession stand lines become too long to endure…
Sun, Sept 7 | 1:30pm – 3:30pm | Stanley Park Nature House | $10 | DETAILS

MOONSHINE | The 2014 autumnal equinox falls on September 23rd and the full moon closest to the equinox (known as the Harvest Moon) appears in the sky this coming Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (mostly Monday and Tuesday, but let’s throw Sunday in there because it’s an almost full moon on a slower day that may hold more opportunities for admiring the night sky). So put on a bit of Neil Young, take your shoes off and go barefoot in the grass with a cold beer in hand one last time this summer.
September 7, 8, 9 | In the sky (Look Up) | Free 

EAT LOCAL | It’s harvest time. Grab locally grown produce from good people at your neighbourhood farmer’s market while we’re in peak season for so many awesome fruits and veggies. Pick up tomatoes to can, veggies for pickling, peaches for preserving. Take full advantage of the bounty at market stalls right now, winter will come and you’ll be happy remembering these late summer treats. Also: good bread, jams to spread on the bread, great cheese and beautiful fall flowers.
Thornton Park | Wednesday | 3pm–7pm | Main Street Station at Terminal | DETAILS
Yaletown | Thursdays | 2-6pm | Mainland between Davie & Helmcken | DETAILS
Trout Lake | Saturdays | 9am-2pm | North Parking Lot, John Hendry Park | DETAILS
Mount Pleasant | Sundays | 10-2pm | 2300 Guelph St | DETAILS
West End | Saturdays | 9am-2pm | 1100 Block of Comox (across from Nelson Park) | DETAILS
Kits | Sundays | 10am-2pm | 2690 Larch @ 10th | DETAILS
UBC Farm Market | Saturday | 9-1 | UBC Farm | DETAILS

Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.